RESIDENTS opposing the development of an urban village in Northwich say claims that the ambitious scheme will only marginally increase traffic are unrealistic.

RESIDENTS opposing the development of an urban village in Northwich say claims that the ambitious scheme will only marginally increase traffic are unrealistic.

The people of Winnington fear the whole of Northwich will be paralysed if Brunner Mond's plans to transform its 90-acre disused industrial site into a riverside village are given the go-ahead.

Brunner Mond has now submitted outline plans to Vale Royal Borough Council for more than 1,000 homes.

Winnington residents say extra traffic generated by the village would cripple already heavily used roads and Brunner Mond's estimations of a 4% increase are not realistic.

Resident Marcus Newhall, a member of Winnington Residents' Association, said: 'My biggest concern is the major influx in traffic the scheme will incur.

'To say that there is only going to be an additional 4% is madness.

There are only 1,000 homes in Winnington at the moment and Brunner Mond is planning to build another 1,000.

'That is doubling the population and doubling the number of journeys that are going to be made in a day.

'To me that means 100%, so how did the company come up with its figure of 4%?'

A spokesperson for Brunner Mond said: 'Research has been carried out by independent traffic specialists and they found that after all of the work is done traffic conjestion in Winnington will be 4% worse.

'This means that if you are sitting in a traffic jam at 8.45 in the morning you will wait 4% longer. It is unrealistic to say that everybody in the new village will come out at the same time because that is not how life works.

'When the whole village is finished there will be a primary school on site so people will not be leaving to take children to school. There will also be cycleways.'

But Dr Janet Mather, borough councillor for Winnington said: 'There is such a thing as a final straw.

'If the increase will only be 4%, then that must mean there is an incredible amount of traffic on the roads already.

'The roads in Winnington are very busy; 4% might not seem a lot, but if they are already full they won't be able to take anymore.'